The past is a haunted place… A puzzling murder for Inspector Abbs… 1874. Josiah Abbs, and Sergeant Reeve, are sent north to the remote Lake Country. A young woman has been murdered in curious circumstances. A recent arrival, who found work in a temperance hotel. The small town of Keswick is crowded with summer visitors, eager to enjoy picturesque Derwent Water and its mountainous surroundings. Was the dead woman simply one more stranger? Then why was her face destroyed…? With limited time and no shortage of suspects, will Abbs discover the heart of a disturbing mystery and find a ruthless killer…